A nice bridge from the gangster pictures of the 30's to the modern day mafia flick. Going inside a crime syndicate and also the private lives of the gangsters, it's a pretty satisfying drama with a lot of facets. Richard Conte is superb as a polite but cold-blooded hitman turned consigliere. Unfortunately the film suffers from bland cinematography, with so much time in well-lit rooms that it feels like a stage production. A very good script but the execution only provides a few exciting moments.